Mastering the Shadow Clone Technique on His Own! A True Genius! Please Vote!!! (Continued)

"They probably haven't even realized it themselves..."

Ino fell into a reverie...

"Now that you mention it, that's true..."

"Sasuke-kun never speaks to anyone first, but he always loves teasing Naruto..."

"And Naruto is always looking for a chance to pick on Sasuke-kun..."

"Could this be what they mean by loving and fighting each other?"

Hinata blushed and smiled, giving a little nod.

"P-perhaps..."

Ino let out a long sigh. "Honestly, I just don't get it..."

The sun set as the two girls, each lost in her own thoughts, walked side by side.

Golden light spilled across the ground, and their shadows stretched long...

Meanwhile, Naruto was experiencing a happiness unlike anything he had ever felt.

Not only had he proved his strength, but Iruka-sensei was now treating him to Ichiraku Ramen.

What more could anyone ask for in life...?

He wolfed down bowl after bowl.

Iruka-sensei couldn't help but cover his forehead with a hand and sigh.

"Slow down, Naruto. It's not like I won't let you eat your fill."

"I told you I was treating you."

Naruto continued gulping down mouthful after mouthful as he mumbled,

"Because Iruka-sensei's treating me, I have to eat a few more bowls!"

"This is a rare opportunity..."

Iruka-sensei frowned. "How many times have I treated you to ramen?"

"You seem to be eating even more than before..."

Naruto suddenly thought of something.

"I'm nowhere near as big an eater as the real glutton!"

"The real glutton?"

"Do you mean Choji?"

Naruto shook his head furiously.

"Iruka-sensei would never guess..."

"It's Hinata!"

"H-Hinata?!"

Iruka was genuinely shocked. That little body of hers, and she was a glutton?

He wouldn't believe it even if someone beat him to death.

However, Ayame giggled quietly.

"Naruto's telling the truth. Last time he treated little Hinata to a meal, she ate seventeen whole bowls!"

"S-seventeen bowls?!"

Iruka-sensei stared in astonishment.

Naruto looked as proud as if he'd done it himself.

"Well? Impressive, right?!"

Iruka-sensei said, "It wasn't you. What are you so proud of?"

Naruto laughed. "Because..."

He suddenly froze and scratched his head furiously.

"Because of what...?"

"Right, I guess it was Hinata, not me..."

"But for some reason, it still feels kind of like it has something to do with me..."

Ayame, who had long since seen through the secret behind it all, couldn't help covering her mouth and giggling.

Uncle Ichiraku, Iruka-sensei, and even Naruto himself had no idea what was going on.

"By the way, Iruka-sensei, why are you treating him?"

Uncle Ichiraku asked as he gave Naruto another bowl of ramen.

"Ah, Naruto's been doing really well lately, so this is a reward for him."

"Oh, in that case, this bowl's on the house. We can count it as a reward for Naruto, too!"

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Uncle Ichiraku!"

"Wait, no. Iruka-sensei's paying anyway, so why am I happy...?"

After finishing their ramen, Iruka-sensei encouraged Naruto a little more, and then the two of them said goodbye.

When Naruto got home, he was still excited, but he didn't forget to keep up his hard training.

With the system's helpful reminders, he couldn't forget even if he wanted to.

Tonight's training was...

The Clone Technique and Dual-Tasking.

Naruto activated the power of the [Distraction-Dual-Use] trait.

He practiced the Chakra Refinement Technique while continuing to train in the Clone Technique.

As he became more proficient in these techniques, Naruto's execution grew increasingly smooth.

He could now practice both without either interfering with or affecting the other.

Naruto's secret to training in the Clone Technique was an idea he'd come up with himself: practicing in front of a mirror.

That way, he could turn the clone he imagined in his mind into a clear image, making his training in the Clone Technique twice as effective.

But tonight, he decided he wouldn't rely on the mirror anymore.

He would train using only his own strength.

After staring at his reflection for so long, Naruto had already memorized his own image down to the last detail.

"Clone!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, three incredibly lifelike clones appeared on either side of Naruto.

They looked so real, they could fool anyone.

The fourth, however, was still somewhat blurry.

"Damn it..."

"That bastard Sasuke can make five clones with ease, and every single one looks exactly like the original!"

"Again!"

In truth, Naruto's Clone Technique was already better than most of his peers'.

Ordinary Ninja Academy students could make at most two clones by the time they graduated.

Naruto could make four, which already put him at the level of a top student.

But he'd always set Sasuke as his goal, so of course he still felt he had a long way to go.

"Okay, I'll stop Dual-Tasking for now and focus on training in the Clone Technique!"

The system didn't stop him. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and put all his concentration into the Clone Technique.

"Clone!"

This time, the fourth clone was indeed much clearer and more lifelike.

Naruto was overjoyed.

"Looks like even with the power of the [Distraction-Dual-Use] trait, Dual-Tasking still can't compare to putting my whole heart into training..."

As he looked at the illusory clones, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him. A thought seemed to pass through his mind.

"The Clone Technique, Dual-Tasking..."

"What was I just thinking of?"

Naruto glanced around at the four clones on either side of him...

Suddenly, he smacked his fist into his palm.

"Ah, that's it..."

"If I can split my attention in two, then if these clones also have my thoughts, could they act on their own?!"

"I'm a genius!"

"But..."

Naruto's expression fell.

"These clones are made from just a little chakra. They're illusions, not real bodies. They can only trick people and draw the enemy's attention. They can't actually do anything..."

"If I want to make my idea work, I first need to turn these clones into real bodies..."

"How do I do that?"

Naruto thought hard.

"Ah, the simplest idea is to give the clones more chakra!"

He immediately began experimenting.

That was Naruto for you. If anyone else had come up with an idea like that, they wouldn't have dared to test it.

It was extremely dangerous.

What's more, there wasn't an older ninja nearby to protect him.

But Naruto was naturally carefree, reckless, and impulsive. When an idea came to him, he acted on it.

He didn't have any reservations. He immediately began trying it out.

"Give the clones more chakra..."

"Clone Technique!"

This time, Naruto used more chakra, but he only managed to create one clone.

As expected, the clone looked much more solid, but it still wasn't a real body.

"Still not enough..."

"I'll try using a tenth of my chakra this time!"

"Clone Technique!"

Still not enough...

"One-fifth!"

Still not enough...

"One-third!"

Not enough...

Naruto was already panting. Just to test a sudden hunch, he had nearly used up all his chakra.